This review needs to come with a warning and a disclaimer: Even though you are forking out money for it, the iPhone isn't really yours. It's Apple's and, for the moment, AT&T's.

They are the ones who will decide how you use it. If you don't want to pay attention to what they're telling you - by, say, hacking your phone so it can be used with other cellphone service providers, your iPhone could become an iBrick.

And, by the way, if that happens, don't look to Apple for help: The minute you fiddle with the workings of your new gizmo and use it in a way that you are not supposed to, the warranty is void.

That being said, Apple's iPhone is the coolest thing ever.

Each of its key features is something to behold - but combined, they bring the iPhone closer to gadget heaven than anything else I've seen.

First, the, uh, phone. It's easy to use, and voice clarity is as good as most other mobile phones I've had. Setting up your contacts list is also a snap, provided you keep a copy on your Mac or PC.

One complaint: The lack of a speed dial function. Though Apple has something called Favourites, it pales in comparison to speed dial features in other, lesser phones.

The main reason: The "speed" element isn't really there. To get to the feature, you have to choose the phone application, tap on the Favourites tab, and choose the number you want to call. It was a lot easier on my old phone - all I had to do was hold down the "1" key and I'd be calling my mum.

That aside, the phone functions work well, and my biggest fear - whether the onscreen keyboard would put a crimp on my SMS habits - never materialised.

The keyboard is easy to use, and you get used to the new way of doing things quickly - though those with fat fingers might want to test-drive it before parting with cash.

The best part about sending text messages is that the iPhone's word recognition feature really works. A simple tap will correct most words found in the English language, and the software eventually gets round to recognising stuff like "referee kayu", "hor fun" and "alamak".

But perhaps the coolest feature of the iPhone is its Web browser. It's a snap to use, and you'll never stop marvelling at the way you can magnify the words and images on screen simply by moving your thumb and index finger apart.

With the free surfing provided by Wireless@SG project which is expanding into more areas, the Web browser is the one feature you'll be thankful for, and it doesn't hurt that using it is such a pleasure every time.

There is one other thing worth mentioning about the iPhone - its gorgeous screen, which makes viewing videos much more pleasurable compared to older iPods.

But detractors will say that the iPhone is not a 3G cellphone. But I can get YouTube, surf the Internet and watch videos on it. So there is no need for 3G, which is overrated anyway. Currently, there aren't enough content to make 3G a must-have.

Still, there are several things Apple could improve on.

The recessed headphone jack means you can only use the provided earbuds, or resort to getting an adapter. That's a drag for users who prefer higher-end headphones.

The SMS beep is an even bigger bugbear. It is so faint, you'll need a hearing aid to tell when you've received a message.

Lastly, I can't for the life of me figure out why Apple charges us if we want to use songs we've already bought from the iTunes store as ringtones. It seems to me that if your iPod is your phone, your ringtone library should be the coolest one on the block. Not so.

These are minor complaints, though. On the whole, the iPhone works great - if you can get past the fact that Apple does not want you to use it with anyone other than AT&T for now, and that you're on your own if you choose to try.

If you don't, try the next best thing - the iPod Touch. It's not a phone, but there's that super-cool Web browser feature, wireless capability and a gorgeous screen as well.

And, most of all, the iPhone's rocking touch-screen tech.

• Not available in Singapore
• Price in United States: US$299 for 4GB and US$399 for 8GB (for use only on AT&T service)
• Warning: Hack the cellphone software and warranty is void